by Why Intern with KOS
My name is Tyler Hatcher and I am entering my 3rd year as a writer for KOS. My story on becoming a writer for KOS is a unique one to say the least. In 2024, I was preparing to cover a week 2 football game, Lakewood at Clearview, for Lorain County’s Friday Night Lights Facebook group. Vince McKee, the founder and owner of KOS, reached out to me to see if I had any interest in writing about the game. I wrote about that game and really enjoyed it. I then went on to cover 9 more games that season. I was given those games to grow and see if I had the potential to be a writer. As the season moved on, I was even given the week 10 assignment of North Ridgeville at Amherst, which was a big week 10 game that season. By the end of the season, my work impressed Vince enough to bring me on as a writer.
The next season I was blessed with many opportunities to cover big games as a second year writer, some of the biggest games in the area. Those games included Mentor at Olmsted Falls in week 1, Glenville at Avon in week 3, and the biggest game of the season in the Lorain County League, Keystone at Clearview in week 10.
Additionally, I was able to cover 3 district basketball games, including two district final games.
None of this would have been possible without the Internship Program at KOS. This gives you an opportunity to learn how to be a sportswriter and have your writing be seen by thousands of readers. The support you get from Vince, your editor, and the entire team at KOS is great.
I had once dreamt about becoming a sportswriter, but as life happened, I found my day job and I’m still satisfied with it. However, KOS gave me the opportunity to get to call myself a sportswriter. For me, it is a great opportunity on the side that allows me to go see games every week for free, and typically in some of the best seats in the house. Every game tells a story, and as a sportswriter, I love being able to tell that story in a way that makes the reader feel like they were there.
This opportunity is what you make of it. If you are willing to mess up, learn from mistakes, take feedback, work hard, and put your heart into your stories, you will succeed. I wasn’t the best writer when I started. What I had going for me was that I put my heart into my stories and wanted to tell the best possible story I could. I grew, and I am still continuing to grow as a writer. This is a great opportunity if you are willing to do those things. If I had to name a favorite part about writing, it is when you hear from a kid or their family member that they read the story and loved it — that they loved seeing themselves or a family member’s name in an article. Moments like that are priceless.
If you take this opportunity, I would advise the following: get to the field an hour early (this helps for parking, and some press boxes are first come, first serve when it comes to media spots), try to research the teams you are covering ahead of time — learn about players, past results, and upcoming opponents — listen to those around you (especially experienced media members), and above all else, have fun. You are covering a game at the end of the day — a game being played by kids against kids. Enjoy being there and the opportunity to tell the story of the game.
If you are considering this opportunity, go for it! I never expected this at all, but it has been such a blessing. Being able to call myself a sportswriter is something that is so cool to say. Whether you are looking to get your start in sports media with hopes of making it your career, or want to do it as something like a hobby, this is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door and see where it can take you.
